The Charge of the Light Brigade

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Never in his wildest dreams did Halajiin Rabeak believe he would ever pull the wool so tightly over the eyes of his fellow Jedi as he was about to now.

The plan was insane, full of holes and errors in logic, but it was that special kind of insanity that stares straight through reason and hits the bullseye on the other side. At least that's what he hoped it would do, otherwise the Nehantite Jedi was about to be in the worst trouble of his life. Nah, it would work. Longshots always worked in the movies, right?

This isn't a movie. His higher functions reminded him.

No, but if we pull this off, they'll make a movie about it! His lower impulses chimed in.

But who would play us?

Duh, me, of course!

Oh yeah, like you'll be a box office pull.

I will be if we get a smokin' hot love interest for me!

You don't have a love interest! Well, other than your paws.

Hey! You be more respectful of Leftina and Rightbecca! They've always been there for me!

Ugh, seriously, more important things to think about, right now. Like making sure everyone gets onto that ship.

I know! That's why I'm trying to forge my Nehantite passport, right now. Could really use your help, here, otherwise the Council isn't going to buy my cover story.

For the past half-hour, Hal had been seated at a computer hidden away in a terminal bay aboard the Challenger. With his trip to Ilum ready to go in an hour's time, he had to make sure that no one would suspect that he'd done anything incredibly stupid. Or even marginally stupid.

Vacations aren't stupid, are they?

Only if you take one to Nar Shaddaa. But you're creating a travel manifest for the group to go to Nehantish, so I think that's much more viable.

Good. Hmm, should we see the Sultanal Gardens first, or the Royal Museum?

It's not a real trip, you idiot! Just say that you'll visit locations of cultural significance while you try and restore relations between the Nehantites and the Jedi. It's not like the Council is going to call the hotel and make sure we all checked in!

Actually, already planned for that. We'll be out, or not able to come to the comm. Worked it out with the front desk.

When did you do that?

While you were imagining what that pilot's bum looked like under those pants.

Oh. Well, that was good, too.

Really? Might have to find out for sure when we get back.

If he wasn't thrown in the brig, that was. A few keystrokes later and a full travel plan was made for himelf, Loki, Kala and Akasha, under the guise that they were traveling to Nehantish to demonstrate that the Jedi were doing well once more, and that they would be open to new candidates, should any have been found. Nehantish made no secret that they did not wish to be part of the Empire, but they did not possess an organized navy of sufficient firepower to mount a full defensive. Thankfully, the planet was far enough out of the way and of such little strategic importance that the Empire hadn't bothered with it much. In the back of Hal's mind he wondered if such a trip might not be worthwhile instead. It would certainly be a lot safer, and there would be a whole lot more tail.

Get your head out of your crotch, Hal!

It is out! Besides, we both know we can't actually reach, anyhow!

Not what I meant! Now, look at the clock, you have to hurry!

And hurry he did. Footpaws shod in boots for the first time since arriving in this time period, Hal ran through the halls of the Challenger on his way back to the docking bay he'd told the others to meet him at. No longer dressed in hand-me-downs or secondhand clothes, he looked smart and dashing in heavyweight adventuring gear. His lightsaber - non-functional as it was - tucked into the leather tube at the back of his belt, was accompanied by a heavy pistol strapped to one leg, and a knife strapped to his boot. It felt odd to be armed once more, but the gravity of the situation warranted it.

As he rounded a corner to a clear hallway, he spared a glance at the datapad in his left paw, ensuring all the gear and cargo he had requested from the supply office on the Challenger had now been loaded successfully onto the Novgorod. Trade materials, he had explained them as in the message which would be sent to the Council after the Novgorod had left the Wheel. After all, with no money, how else was he supposed to secure lodging on Nehantish, or meetings with proper officials? Nehantites were famed as being shrewd traders, and such uncommon goods as cold-weather gear, climbing gear, landscape demolitions and heavy weapons would garner good prices on a planet not known for developing any such items.

On foot, his journey took him a bit over fifteen minutes, and he could feel his heart hammering in his chest when at last he reached the docking bay. Loki was right, he needed better endurance, and if Hal made it back safely from this trip, he would gladly surrender to the boy's training regime. Stumbling to a halt in the middle of the bay, the yellow-furred mongoose leaned over and braced his paws on his knees in order to catch his breath. Yes, the cover story said that he was taking a team to Nehantish, but the plan was Ilum, and to come back as a hero.

Out of curiosity, what happens when the longshot doesn't work in a movie?

Everyone dies.

Ah, yes, that's right. Let's make sure it works, shall we? I'll let you get whatever tail you want, if you get us back here in one piece.

Brain, I am going to hold you to that promise. Now, let's see if we're the first ones here...

[Abarai Loki]

In the short space of time since their last meeting, Loki had, with all the speed and efficiency of the Imperial Royal Guard, gathered all the neccessary equipment for the journey. Most of it was stuffed inside the rather hefty rucksack upon which he sat, beside a waiting shuttle, poring over datapads, and at least half of which had been long pre-packed. Itchy feet was the expression used amongst servicemen who had been too-long cloistered in the stuffy mechanical bowels of a starship. He recoiled at the concept of wanderlust. And yet, how quicky he'd jumped at the opportunity to leave the fleet and abandon his duty to the padawans. He had to believe his skills would be put to significant use to warrant joining the expedition, and there were few of his peers, he believed, more suited than him to do... well, anything. Pride it was, then.

It surprised him to find the sound of heavily clattering boots accompanied by the sight of Halajiin Rabeak. More surprising still was the impressive attire sported by his furry comrade, which was almost, but not quite, as impressive as his own. Finally able to secure the matching set of Digital Glacier camouflage for which he had so longed, thanks in part to the recent influx of Rodian and Bothan recruits, Loki looked the part. The part of a diminutive army grunt with all the airs and graces of a self-entitled monk. Over one of the datapads, he surveyed the mongoose with weathered patience.

"Halajiin Rabeak, were I the sort to require reassurance at a time like this, the sight of you wheezing like an ancient hag does little to bolster the spirit."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Dang it! How did he beat us here?

Probably because he's had all afternoon to pack and be ready.

So did we!

No, we've been packing, recruiting, getting measured for this new getup, packing some more, forging documents, forging passports, forging travel itineraries, hacking internal systems, having lunch -

Lunch was good.

Actually, yeah, it was, but you didn't let me finish. We then had to pick up our new gear, avoid Council members, hit on that cute pilot -

I swear, you need to learn some better pickup lines. Our old ones just aren't working in this era.

- Anyway, my point is that we've been a lot busier than he has.

Hal's upper and lower functions ceased their arguing as the Nehantite rose to a stand once more, then combed his fingers through his headfur, regaining his composure. Resisting the urge to snark, he took a deep breath and calmed himself before simply walking the rest of the way toward the shuttle, glad to see his gear had already been delivered as promised.

"Darn good thing you don't require reassurance, then, huh?" he replied. Glancing around, there was no one else in the hangar bay, yet, and so he joined Loki in sitting upon a pile of stuff.

"But, yeah, my endurance isn't what it used to be. Doc thinks it might be atrophy from being frozen so long, but he's not sure. As far as anyone knows, nobody's been frozen as long as I was and still survived, so they keep me on fairly regular checkups."

Questions came to mind, next, such as, 'Got everything you need?', 'Ready for the trip?' and 'You do know that moisturizing cream will freeze quickly in a sub-zero environment, right?', but he found himself asking something else entirely as they waited for the others to turn up.

"So, if I was to go running with you in the morning, would I have to do the full two hours from the start, or could I sorta build up to that?"

[Abarai Loki]

"I am not in the practice of attempting to murder my fellows. You will run until you can't, and then we'll know where your limits lie," he glanced at his companion, "It shan't take long. Here."

Loki offered one of the datapads to Halajiin, on which he had compiled all of the useful information he could find on their destination, it was, essentially, an amateur encyclopedia of Ilum. It consisted of all the standard data relating to climate and terrain, there was a short and unimpressive list of naturally-occurring vegitation, even more dissuasive was the extensive catalogue of resident species, and the percentage of which that were hostile, and the maps were so out-dated they pinpointed the locations of old Republic camps. Dissatisfied though he was with his findings, Loki was nonetheless industrious in his studies.

"It is essential reading," he elaborated, firing Halajiin a warning shot of a look, "Consider it a refresher course. I want the team prepared for any eventuality. On my last mission to an unfamiliar world, I was ambushed by stormtroopers, almost buried alive, encountered a paranoid magician, and was attacked by giant cats. There will not be a repeat performance on Ilum."

Suddenly irritable, Loki scanned the outskirts of the hangar, and frowned:

"Do these padawans of yours undertand the importance of punctuality? Or are they still working on its definition?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"Dude, uh, I've been to Ilum, before. Twice," Hal reminded his new 'friend.'

Still, he couldn't fault Loki for wanting to be prepared, and for doing his homework - just as long as he hadn't done his homework on the actual document that the Council "signed" to approve this mission.

"Well, uh, to be fair, I told you to be here earlier than them, because I wanted to talk to you, first," he admitted. "See, there is a chance we might need to get out of there in a hurry, and if enemy forces are closing in, we might need to blow the caverns. As in, cave it all in behind us. I need to know your thoughts on that."

[Abarai Loki]

It took a moment for Loki to consider the implications of the plan, then:

"To what end?" he asked, his brow knit in confusion, "The Empire has had unlimited access to Ilum for decades. They have no use for lightsaber crystals. Why deny them now?"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"To send a message," Hal replied. There was no pause, his answer was immediate and completely honest to what he felt in his heart.

"If they want to keep us from something, we need to show them that either we can take it, anyhow, or we won't let them keep it. Either way, they lose."

The mongoose's breath had returned, and with it his usual vim and vigor, though now emboldened by his sense of moral righteousness. Despite being so out of his time and element, Hal could not be repressed, and he was determined to make his stand, come hell or high water. If he were a movie, the words, "Inspirational," and "Revolutionary," would find easy places on his poster at that moment in time, even if it was just a direct-to-home-media release.

[Abarai Loki]

By the time Halajiin was finished divulging his intentions, Loki had already returned to the study of his datapad, and with no shortage of disinterest, concluded that:

"It sounds rather peevish to me, not to mention pointless. The explosives would be put to far better use in demolishing an Imperial outpost or a sensor tower."

Then, with the dawning of a fresh thought, he rose again from his reading, this time his expression was resolute. He said, "Actually, it is a terrible idea. What if we endeavor to obtain more crystals in the future? There is a popular colloquialism relevant here: something to do with noses... and faces..."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

But think of how cool it would look! Hal's base functions wanted to plead.

Yeah, but he's got a point. Besides even if we do cave in the caverns, there's no reason any orbital security would ever be removed. His brain let him know.

"Cut off your nose to spite your face," Hal filled in the saying Loki was looking for. Heaving a sigh, his idea of an awesome, action-movie chain reaction of explosions while he walked away was abandoned, and his mind returned to the task at hand.

"Okay, no cave-in, then, got it," he replied. "Oh, but I do have something else you might like."

Reaching into one of the cargo pockets on his pants, he withdrew a silver tube with a black texture-grip wrapping on it. "Not fancy, but should get the job done, if we need them," he announced. Holding the item out, it was revealed to be a basic, rudimentary lightsaber, though it was light enough that it obviously lacked a crystal.

[Abarai Loki]

"You've been busy."

The appearance of a new lightsaber begged for Loki to abandon his datapad and inspect the weapon in earnest. It was turned over in his hands with practised delicacy as he studied the craftsmanship, balanced on his palm to assess its weight, and tested its grip with a couple of easy swings. Satisfied, he returned it with a nod.

"It will suffice. Your initiative is commendable, Halajiin Rabeak."

Then, struck with the mental image of the quartet of intrepid Jedi returning from Ilum with fully-functioning lightsabers, Loki felt a flutter of excitement in his belly. His thoughts derailed when he noticed the shuttle pilot approaching from across the hangar bay. He stood, and gathered his belongings, a tall rucksack and a duffel bag which gave an ominous clatter. Last, but not least, he retrieved the datapads. And with a cursory check of his chrono, said:

"I suspect we have crossed the threshold of time in which we are early and they are late."

[Kala'ndryl Ryj]

Chaos.

That was about the only work that could describe what had happened to her half of the room she shared with Akasha. Clothes, boots, shoes, and nearly every thing she owned was scattered around in a haphazard arrangement reminiscent of an explosion. Kneeling in the middle, her head bowed to the task of packing, Kala muttered under her breath as her slender silver head tresses twitched in irritation amidst her blonde curls.

She was going to be late, and rushing through the hallways wasn't precisely wise when one was supposed to be exercising the utmost care. With her luck, if she was running, she'd fall flat on her face and make a complete scene.

Though granted, last time, she'd run into Maxx.

A smile curled her lips as she tucked the last of her things into a small bag and secured her lightsaber hilts into the sheaths on either thigh. On the right, the much-worn hilt her father had created, while on the right, was one (http://i50.tinypic.com/2ldkdfl.jpg) Kala had created for herself with bits and pieces she'd gathered over the last several months.

With a renewed sense of haste after glancing at the chrono on the wall, she zipped her bag closed and made a half-hearted attempt at putting things away.

Kaaaalaaa...

What, Rin?

You're laaaaate....

I am not, I've got five whole...minutes...frak!

His giggling echoed through her head as she gave up and ran down the hall, barely casting a glance over her shoulder to ensure that her door had closed.

You forgot that the chronos autoadjust didn't you? I warned you about it. But ohhhh nooooo. Who listens to me?

I'm the only one that can hear you, save Ilias, you twit. And he's not around to hear your prattle.

You wound me, fluffbrain.

You're dead, Rinnykins.

She tried to keep the disdain in her mind-voice but failed, a soft laugh instead escaping her lips as she rounded the corner into the appointed hangar bay. Blinking, her wide ebony gaze came to rest on Loki and Hal. Waiting. For herself and Akasha, no doubt.

"Sorry I'm late." Kala smiled and carefully set her duffel bag down, fingers absently smoothing out the invisible wrinkles in her all-white clothing (http://www.polyvore.com/kala_light_brigade/set?id=57715027).

[Akasha Khan]

Before either knight could respond, a rivet dropped like a silver thunderbolt from the hangar ceiling to the deck between Hal and Kala, but right at the part where it clatters noisily to the floor ringing to nine hells like a bell in a box canyon, it stopped, floated in midair centimeters above the deck plates, and then settled down gently with a whisper. Another rivet dropped right beside it.

And then, some twenty meters up, a vent cover swung open, and out tumbled a spinning ball of grimy, dusty fur. It landed on all fours with scarcely any more sound than the rivets, leaving a cloud of earthy soot on the pristine deck, then uncurled itself and rose stiffly into the form of an Orryxian girl, covered from head to tailtip in the detritus of the Challenger's air reclamation system.

"I did it," she said, panting. "Nobody saw where I was going. No thanks to Jamis, that addle-brained mynock... Gyah!"

As if something within her had snapped, she slapped frantically at the grit on her arms and shirt front, sending it up in a spiraling brown cloud around her.

"They really need to clean those ducts!" she hissed. "I mean, are we breathing this stuff all the time? That can't be healthy!"

[Halajiin Rabeak]

Hal was ready to check his wristwatch again when Kala entered, and he smiled and nodded hello. But as he opened his mouth to greet her, a rivet shot down before him.

"What the?" the mongoose said, his head jerking back like a pigeon's before he glanced upward in time to see the next rivet fall.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me..." he muttered.

Shielding his eyes and nose from the dust, Hal still coughed slightly before looking at the absolutely filthy Orryxian before him.

Then, with his brow crimped and tail still, he said, "Akasha, what the hell are you doing?"

[Akasha Khan]

Akasha paused in the middle of combing the most tenacious clods of dust from underneath her arms. Her large, green eyes skated back and forth between Hal and Loki. "I'm... reporting for duty?" she said. "I could have gotten here sooner, but I figured this was a better solution than throwing Padawan Kerr out an airlock."

[Halajiin Rabeak]

"Much!" Hal exclaimed. His pink eyes went wide at even thought that Akasha might consider doing such a thing.

"But... why didn't you use... the door? It wasn't locked, or anything."

[Akasha Khan]

The Orryxian squinted at Hal as if he'd just suggested she become a vegan.

"The door?" she said. "But wouldn't..."

She'd glanced toward the door only to see Kala standing there in gleaming white and looking decidedly less... covert.